His Flame Rose
by Kitten Luberia
Summary: One night, Kannagi met with Emisu in his dreams, between flashbacks of that sorrowful day, 132 years ago. He was finally given a second chance to tell her how he really felt.


"Kannagi..."

A gentle and familiar female voice echoed in his mind. _This couldn't be real,_ he thought. _She was gone._

"Kannagi..."

The more he heard it, the closer he was pulled towards her. Though his head felt heavy, his thoughts mixed and dizzying. Everything was blurry, and he had barely enough strength to keep him awake.

Ah, yes. _He remembered this time._ As the realization struck, it felt like an arrow to his heart. He knew what was going to come next, and he began praying in his mind to some god, any god, that he wouldn't have to relive this moment.

As his eyes opened, Kannagi found them fixating on the young woman before him, who leaned against the edge of the bed in which he laid, hovering over him as she went to replace the wet cloth on his forehead

He could hear her as she talked to herself, concerned about how she was supposed to help him. It had almost been a week with this fever, and it was not fading even in the slightest bit. Just as she had spoken her worries, she heard the others saying it was pointless to help him, as he would surely die. That, she refused to accept. One way or another, she'd help him!

It was then that she remembered a single spark of hope he had left: an herb that could promise longer life. It grew on the highest point of a cliff, and was dangerous to go after. As she told him that she'd be fine, Kannagi sat up in bed, warning her and begging her not to go.

She left the house, and Kannagi's world turned white. He was now in an empty space, devoid of color, scenery, and life. His body no longer felt weak, and the sweat that once ran down his forehead was gone. That's right, he was back to his current self, the man who survived by himself, over one hundred and thirty years after this event.

When he had thought he was alone, that gentle voice echoed again. _He was given another chance._

"Kannagi..."

His heart sank. _This was just too cruel._ He felt as though he'd died and come back to life many times by now.

Kannagi's face twisted into an expression only able to be described as despair. His eyes narrowed, his lips formed a small frown. Within a moment of silence, he breathed in deeply. As he let the breath go, in a soft, pained voice, he replied back.

"Emisu..."

In that moment, she appeared. A young, brunette girl about average height, her long hair tied back with just a few locks free, outlining her face. Her beauty was unmatched, not a single person could compare. She was glowing, not just from her smile; but around her, Kannagi could also see a gold light coming from her whole existence. She looked like an angel, a girl so sweet and delicate, it was as though she'd come from Heaven. For, she really had.

Emisu reached out, taking one of Kannagi's hands into both of her own.

"It's okay," She said, her voice and expression calm and careful. "You don't have to blame yourself anymore."

She felt his emotions stir within him, ones that he normally wouldn't express openly. From simply holding his hand, she could feel his sadness, his anger, his self-hatred; and most of all, his guilt. Through this simple contact, she could even understand his helplessness. And though his expression never changed, she could see in his eyes how badly he'd wanted to cry, yet how strongly he was trying to hold back in front of her.

Giving his hand a small, comforting squeeze, she repeated, "It's okay." She waited a moment, studying his expression with her peaceful eyes, before continuing. "It wasn't your fault. You have no need to torture yourself anymore."

As she spoke, her words, like magic, made his heart feel lighter and lighter, until it was almost as though all his pain, and the whole burden he'd carried with him since her death, was gone.

Just then, something in Kannagi's mind began to flicker. Was it in and out of consciousness? This was a dream, after all...wasn't it? That was when he realized his time was running out, although he wasn't finished with her yet. There was so much he wanted to say, but not enough time to say it. He had to choose wisely, and quickly, before it all finally ended.

When he decided, he spoke with a calm, relieved voice, placing his free hand atop hers so that they had both been holding onto each other, and prepared himself to let out the one statement he'd always wanted to say to her.

"Emisu, I...have always loved you."

With that, the empty white space flashed back to a world of orange and red. A fire burst out before him, separating the two. Her cries echoed as he screamed her name. The fire danced around her, like a rose within flames, as though the very goddess of fire was jealous of her beauty. And as Kannagi reached out towards the raging flames, Emisu was gone.

Kannagi awoke suddenly, his head spinning as he looked around him. He was back in the forest, where he and Arata's group had planned to rest for the night. The others were still asleep, as he got up and walked about. He looked for a small stream, where he rinsed his face, all his pain and worries flowing away with the water. Then, as he stared down at his reflection, it flickered to Emisu's for a second, and he whispered to it,

"Goodbye, my flame rose."


End file.
